By Yien Gattuor
Youth from Rubkona County in Unity State of South Sudan, have raised concerns over the appointment of a vice president of the Greater Pioneer Operating Company (GPOC) oil consortium, last week.
The youth argued that a person holding the position should be from Rubkona County, where the oil fields are situated.
Mr. Ran Bilieny Top, the chairperson of Leek Youth Association, condemned and protested the appointment of Mr. Beny Ngor Chol as vice president of GPOC in Unity Oilfield.
The youth are calling for withdrawal of the appointment, warning that failure to accept their proposal will compel them to take matters into their own hands.
“The appointment of GPOC vice president, we reject immediately because the company GPOC operates under our area, Rubkona,” Mr. Bilieny voiced out their concerns.
He argued that since the appointments of the previous four vice presidents of GPOC, they didn’t see their own people as vice presidents, which is why they rejected the appointment of Mr. Beny Ngor.
“It has just come to our notice as that Nile Petroleum Corporation (Nilpet) board of directors and Ministry of Petroleum has the assumption that areas belong to Ruweng Administrative Area (RAA),” he said.
Ngor lamented that the assumptions were confirmed by the appointment of six sons of Ruweng community as vice presidents and community development managers for the last few years.
He said more than 90 percent of wells producing oil in GPOC areas belong to Rubkona County of Unity State.
“Giving the vice president and community development manager positions to Ruweng Administrative Area does not make sense at all, and we cannot keep silent this time,” he echoed in the statement.
Mr. Bilieny described that scenario as a clear marginalization, which he claimed is also applied in national government representation.
But he stressed that this is not acceptable and will not continue under his watch.
Mr. Bilieny warned that “with these mere assumptions, the oil production area will be under serious threat of total shutdown if the following conditions are not addressed.”
They include first “the recent appointment of GPOC Vice president should be among the three counties of Unity State, such as Rubkona, Mayom, and Guit counties, not Ruweng Administrative again.”
The youth association in Rubkona County calls on the Governor, Dr. Joseph Monytuil Wejang, to engage the Minister of Petroleum and Petroleum Corporation.